Right Walk, Wrong Weather

Dawn's red sky did give us clear warning of the weather prospects for the day, as did the stiff southeaster we met as we left the house for a morning in the hills.  Our original plan, to walk down the valley from Bourblaige to the shores of Loch Sunart, and then turn right along some beaches we haven't explored, seemed less and less a good idea as we drove along the B8007, so we stopped at the south end of Loch Mudle and followed the track that heads across the valley and into the Ardnamurchan Estate forestry.

The track is well made and offers good walking, but we don't like woodland walking - the lack of views and the silence seem to suffocate us.  By the time we had out first good view from between the trees, it was already drizzling, with a dark cloud sitting very firmly on the summit of Ben Hiant.

We walked on, the track rising all the time, looking hopefully for red squirrels, goldcrests and other exclusive inhabitants of coniferous plantations, but had to content ourselves with what colour there was - like the surprising russet reds that contrast so strongly with the silver bark of the birch trees and the cushions of moss.

The track finally emerged from the trees, so we left it and began climbing the slopes of our objective, Meall nan Coireach, the hill of the corries.  It's not at all clear why it has this name as there is no sign of a corrie on its slopes, so coire in this case may mean hollow.

Once clear of the trees some fine views should have opened up but, by this time, the wind had risen further and the rain was coming down in vicious pellets.  The first knoll showed signs of having been surrounded by a low wall, possibly to form a small fort, but it wasn't the weather to investigate, so we pressed on along the ridge.

Although the northern end of the ridge is marked as forested on the OS map, the open land continues beyond the almost-circular Lochan a Churra, tempting us on, but by this time the weather was so foul that we had had enough.  We dropped down to the track and headed for the car, but we now faced straight into the wind.  For the first time we blessed the woodland for giving us some protection.  By the time we reached the car we were soaking wet: our wet-weather clothing now drips from the rack above the Rayburn.

An interactive map of the area is here.